The address Azure sent was for a regular KTV. Serena Yardley didn’t think much of it and took a cab straight there.
Finding the private room Azure had ntioned, she reached out and pushed the door open.
Inside the dim room, Azure was alone. When she saw Serena Yardley arrive, she hurried over to greet her.
"Serena, you’re here."
Serena Yardley nodded, pulling the gift she had brought from her bag and handing it to Azure. "Happy birthday."
Azure looked at the gift, hesitating for a mont before accepting it with a wry smile.
"Thanks. Co on, have a seat. I’ve already ordered the drinks. It’s just you with today, so we’re not leaving until we’re drunk."
Seeing a number of opened bottles on the coffee table, Serena Yardley said as she sat down, "I’m allergic to alcohol, so I can’t drink."
’Actually, it’s because I’m pregnant that I can’t drink.’
Azure’s expression changed. "Oh, is that so? What about soda?"
Serena Yardley shook her head. "I’m allergic to artificial coloring, too. I’ll just have water."
As she spoke, Serena Yardley bent down to pick up a bottle of mineral water from the table. Just as she was about to twist it open, she noticed the cap had already been opened.
She hesitated, then put the bottle back down. "I’m not thirsty right now."
Noticing Azure staring at her, Serena Yardley smiled and asked, "What’s wrong? If it’s just the two of us, let’s light the candles."
Azure was clearly preoccupied. She quickly knelt in front of the cake to light the candles.
Serena Yardley watched her, noticing that Azure’s hands were trembling as she lit the candles, which made her even more suspicious.
"Azure, I’ve never heard you ntion having a part-ti job before. Why the sudden decision to get one during the break?"
Azure was evasive. "My... my mom’s sick and needs money. I’d just be idle if I went ho anyway, so I figured I’d get a part-ti job here to earn a little."
Hearing this, Serena Yardley asked, "How much money do you need?"
"A few hundred thousand."
"I can lend you so. I have about a hundred thousand on . Do you want it?"
At these words, Azure’s head snapped up to look at Serena Yardley.
Serena Yardley t her gaze and quickly took a bank card from her bag, offering it to her.
"This money is from my family. I don’t really have anything to spend it on, so if you need it urgently, you can borrow it for now."
Azure stared at the bank card Serena Yardley was offering, and her eyes instantly reddened.
She shot to her feet, threw her arms around Serena Yardley, and sobbed into her ear.
"Serena, I’m so sorry. The truth is, soone paid to lure you here and drug you. I don’t know who they are."
"I’m sorry, Serena. I know I was wrong. You need to leave, now! Soone’s trying to hurt you."
Serena Yardley was speechless.
On her way over, she had asked Kylie Cross. It wasn’t Azure’s birthday at all.
It turned out her caution was justified.
She quickly stood up and asked Azure, "What about you?"
"I’ll give them their money back. They probably won’t do anything to . Just go, quickly."
"No. You know their secret. They won’t let you go. We’ll leave together."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Serena Yardley grabbed Azure and they both ran out of the room.
In the hallway outside, two n in black were waiting for the right mont.
They planned to go in and take photos after Serena Yardley was drugged.
When they saw the two girls co out of the room, they imdiately gave chase.
But the girls were too fast and quickly got into an elevator. The two n in black were so furious they kicked the elevator door.
Luckily, it was dayti. Serena Yardley pulled Azure out of the KTV and hastily hailed a cab on the roadside.
Serena Yardley only breathed a sigh of relief once they were in the taxi.
Azure was still berating herself in her ear, "I’m so sorry, Serena. It’s all my fault for being blinded by greed."
Serena Yardley’s face grew stern. She told Azure coldly,
"You at least have so conscience left, since you confessed. But the consequences of this could have been unthinkable. I’m not ready to forgive you right now. You should get on a high-speed train and go ho imdiately. Otherwise, those people might co after you."
Azure, her eyes red-rimd, asked, "Who did you offend? Why do they want to hurt you? If it wasn’t , they probably would have found soone else and used a different thod."
"I don’t know who I’ve offended either."
Serena Yardley didn’t want to say more. She gestured to the driver, "Sir, please stop at the next intersection."
After the taxi stopped, Serena Yardley told Azure before getting out, "Go ho and stay safe. I might need you as a witness."
Azure nodded quickly. "Okay. You be careful, too."
"Mm."
After watching Azure leave, Serena Yardley quickly pulled out her phone.
It was three in the afternoon, so Ethan should still be at work. She hailed another taxi and headed for the Serene Empire.
In the car, she dialed his number.
He answered almost imdiately. "What is it?"
"Uncle, I’m coming to your company. There’s sothing I need to tell you."
"What happened?"
Hearing the strain in her voice, Ethan Yardley grew cautious and asked again.
"Soone tried to hurt . If I’d been any less careful, I might be in their hands right now. Uncle, I’m scared."
"Where are you now?"
"I’m almost at your company."
"I’ll have Yannick Young co down to get you."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Serena Yardley tried to compose herself. As she got out of the taxi and walked toward the towering, cloud-piercing Sovereign Tower, her anxiety finally began to subside.
Mr. Young was already waiting at the company entrance. Seeing Serena Yardley, he approached, nodded, and greeted her, "Miss Serena."
"Mm. Thank you for this."
"Not at all."
Yannick Young led Serena Yardley straight to Ethan Yardley’s office.
Along the way, many employees stared, extrely curious about who this stunningly beautiful person was.
This was also Serena Yardley’s first ti inside Ethan’s company.
The scale of the company was more extravagant than she had imagined. The entire 128-story building belonged to the Serene Empire.
And this corporate empire was the company with the broadest business scope, the highest market value, and the most employees in the entire country.
No wonder every college graduate fought tooth and nail to get into this company.
Because any employee who made it in could achieve the freedom of owning a house and a car.
Following Mr. Young into the elevator, Serena Yardley watched a string of numbers flicker by. In no ti, they reached the 88th floor.
She followed Mr. Young out of the elevator with quick little steps. Under the watchful eyes of the many secretaries in the floor’s office area, Serena Yardley arrived at the door to the CEO’s office.
Mr. Young pushed the door open, nodded to Serena Yardley, and gestured. "Please."
Serena Yardley nodded. As she walked in, the several-thousand-square-foot office with its high-end, minimalist decor, and the misty, fairyland-like view beyond the opposite glass wall, left her speechless.
From the direction of the desk, Ethan Yardley’s voice ca. "What happened?"
Only then did Serena Yardley turn to look at him and walk over.
Terrified, she rushed to the man, straddling his lap and curling up in his arms like a frightened fawn.
Ethan Yardley was in the middle of work, but since Serena liked being clingy with him, he didn’t push her away.
He looked down at the girl in his arms, who seed genuinely terrified, and his voice softened as he asked again, "Tell . Who tried to hurt you?"
"Those people bribed my roommate to lure to a KTV. They wanted to drug . My roommate isn’t completely bad; she confessed to , but she doesn’t know who they are either."
Looking at him, Serena Yardley speculated,
"But I suspect it was Sylvia Schuyler. She must have wanted soone to drug and take indecent videos to threaten into leaving you, or to show you those kinds of photos so you’d kick out."
Ethan Yardley was silent.
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